Domain Pierre Luneau-Papin 
Le L d'Or
2007 Muscadet 

Muscadet which had basically disappeared from the wine lists of America for the last 15 years has made a dramatic return as sommeliers and wine lovers have rediscovered it. I recall first having a Muscadet with seafood in the Loire Valley back in the late 1970’s. I was amazed then and remain convinced it is a perfect wine to pair with the fruits of the sea. 

All Muscadet are made with the Melon de Bourgogne or Melon a varietal derived from the Pinot Blanc grown primarily in the Western Loire Valley region of France around Nantes. Melon is one of the great Cool-Climate varietals and is distinguished by its great resistance to frost. The grape is so associated with its appellation that the grape itself is often known as Muscadet. A little-known fact about Muscadets is that they are a white wine that can improve with aging.

While the Muscadet of the past was very much a “vin de table,” today Muscadet producers are giving it as much attention and care as more highly regarded regions and varietals. Pierre and Monique Luneau started more than 30 years ago to develop a vineyard and winery to take full advantage of the Melon and produce fine Muscadets. Their son Pierre-Marie joined the family wine business in 2005, and he is the 8th generation in this family of vignerons.

The eight different wines of Domaine Pierre Luneau-Papin respect both their different terroirs and each vintage. Reflecting that Muscadets age well the excellent cuvée 'L'd'Or', 45 year old vines planted on granite using organic growing techniques has shown beautifully in verticals from as far back as 1976. L’d’Or wine is enriched and matured for 9 to 11 months on its lees up to bottling. Once fermentation has finished, the lees are regularly stirred, so that the lees remain in suspension.

The 2007 vintage we had at Mas (farmhouse) in the West Village of New York was exceptional and paired perfectly with our first and second seafood courses, The straw colored wine is lush and medium body with aromas of citrus and summer meadow flowers. The flavor was crisp and at the same time full with generous acidity